Armed civilians stand on top of abandoned army tanks after soldiers surrender

As the rebels poured onto the streets to help fight, members of the army who were revolting lost power and many surrendered before being arrest.

President Erdogan has warned there could be another uprising tonight as he called on supporters to remain outside to fight again if necessary.

Officials have warned more than 2,800 soldiers who have been arrested for the "black stain on Turkey's democracy" could face the death penalty as they consider reinstating capital punishment, while "many" military commanders have been taken hostage at the army HQ.

So far 161 people have been confirmed dead and 1,154 injured in the night of bloody rebellion as the military attempted to overthrow the government.

Eight men landed in Greece in a military helicopter asking for political asylum this morning, as the uprising continues to bubble in Turkey.

Shocking photographs show armed civilians overpowering and beating soldiers as they take back control.

People were seen celebrating this morning after rebelling soldiers from the Turkish army surrendered on the Bosphorus Bridge in Istanbul.

Supports of President Erdogan waved Turkish flags, cheered and mounted tanks left behind by the rebels as they celebrated their victory.

Plain-clothes policemen and armed civilians were seen embracing and cheering as more than a thousand soldiers were arrested.

He said: "People rushed to the main square, to rush to the tanks and the armoured carriers - it was a bloodbath.

"It was unexpected. There is a very strong link, or maybe there was until last night, there was a very strong link between the Turkish people and their military.

"So people were shocked when the military actually fired on the crowd."
President Erdogan has declared his government is back in control of the country, but urged people to remain on the streets for fear of further uprisings.

The Turkish Government said 2,839 soldiers have been arrested after army factions used tanks and helicopters to cause "a bloodbath on the streets", killing dozens of innocent civilians.

Deputy leader of the AKP Mehmet Müezzinoğlu said the government will introduce a bill calling for the rebel soldier's to be executed on Friday.

He posted on Twitter: "We will put forward a motion, which will demand the execution of those who have been involved in the coup attempt."

Turkey's Prime Minister Binali Yildirim says last night was a black stain on Turkish democracy and coup plotters will face the justice they deserve.

He added the death penalty is not in Turkey's constitution, but said the country will consider legal changes to make sure this doesn't happen again.

People protesting against the coup wave flags in support of the Turkish government

Horrified civilians attempted to flee packed areas as heavily-armed coup supporters in 62-tonne tanks called for an uprising against Turkish President Erdogan.

Turkey's acting army chief General Umit Dundar has said 104 "coup plotters" were killed on top of the 41 police officers, 47 civilians and two soldiers earlier reported.

Turkey's parliamentary building suffered devastating damage as rebels stormed the surrounding square and set off bombs, as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed revenge.

Explosions rocked Ankara and Istanbul, injuring several police officers and parliament workers as a "massive" blast shook the building.

Soldiers opened fire at civilians as they attempted to cross the Bosporus bridge in popular holiday destination Istanbul, killing several.

One powerful image, echoing the famous photo of a man standing in front of tanks with two shopping bags during the Tianamen Square rebellion, shows a man lying in front of an army tank in a bid to stop the uprising.

Turkey's military chief Hulusi Akar has been rescued after being held hostage.

The country's president Recep Tayyip Erdogan returned to Istanbul after rushing back from his holiday, vowing: "The ring leader who plotted all of this will pay the price in front of the nation."

Turkish MPs are holding an extraordinary meeting in parliament to discuss the night's dramatic events.

Erdogan has warned those involved in the uprising will "pay a heavy price".

The President also blamed the uprising on his enemy, exiled Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, who denied he was behind the coup.

The Istanbul Police Chief named the leader of the coup as Col Muharrem Kose, a former member of the Turkish Armed Forces.

Soldiers driving the coup clashed with protesters in the streets throughout the night after heavy gunfire in the streets of Ankara and Istanbul during the attempted coup which saw the military claim power.

HOW THE COUP UNFOLDED IN TURKEY

9pm Friday night Traffic was stopped from crossing both the Bosphorus and Fatih Sultan Mehmet bridges in Istanbul with the military issuing a statement saying the Turkish Armed Forces had “completely taken over the administration of the country”10pm President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks with local Turkish TV station and urges people to take to the streets and stand up against the coupMidnight 17 police officers are killed after being shot by a helicopter as chaos unfolds on the streets12.30am Saturday Parliament is bombed several times with MPs vowing to stay inside to fight for democracy1am Tide begins to turn with soldiers involved in the attempted coup giving up their weapons to police, with several others having already been arrested2.30am President Recep Tayyip Erdogan returns to Istanbul, vowing to punish those involved in the attempted coup3am Prime Minister Binali Yildirim told the state-run Anadolu news agency: “Things are getting better every minute” despite continued military action on the streets

*UK time

The action continued even after the President returned to the city and the Prime Minister Binali Yildirim telling the state-run Anadolu news agency: “Things are getting better every minute”.

President Erdogan eventually made it back to Istanbul after having been on holiday in Marmaris, which he told media had been also targeted in the bombings.

He said the uprising was an act of treason and advised supporting factions of the army to shoot down any revel jets.

F-16 fighter jets are reported to have bombed tanks positioned by coup backers near the presidential palace in Ankara.

His arrival to Istanbul came after 12 people where injured while gathered in the Turkish Parliament and were bombed.

The MPs refused to leave the parliament with every political party coming out against the coup.

The coup came after the Turkish military released a statement, saying: “Turkish Armed Forces have completely taken over the administration of the country to reinstate constitutional order, human rights and freedoms, the rule of law and general security that was damaged.

“All international agreements are still valid. We hope that all of our good relationships with all countries will continue.”

In a further statement read out on the state-run broadcaster TRT, the military said it had declared martial law and imposed a curfew.

The statement said the country would now be run by a "peace council" with a new constitution to be prepared as soon as possible.

The anchor has since described being made to read the statement out at gunpoint with those who captured the station taken into custody.

Gunfire has been heard in both Ankara and Istanbul as part of the coup

A European Union source monitoring the attempted coup told Reuters: "It looks like a relatively well-orchestrated coup by a substantial body of the military, not just a few colonels.

"They've got control of the airports and are expecting control over the TV station imminently."

The source continued: "They control several strategic points in Istanbul. Given the scale of the operation, it is difficult to image they will stop short of prevailing."

It is understood the Turkish ambassador in a European capital was taken by surprise.

A diplomat told Reuters: "This is clearly not some tinpot little coup. The Turkish ambassador was clearly shocked and is taking it very seriously."

Former Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu told Al Jazeera that the attempted coup was using "illegal methods" and was attacking democracy.

He said: "Stability of Turkey means stability of many other countries and the stability of Turkey means the stability of a safe haven of millions of refugees. If it is harmed, the domino effect cannot be prevented."

He said he had seen many attempts of coups that had been unsuccessful.

Labour's Shadow Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry said there was no excuse for violence or abuse of human rights.

The UK Foreign Office has advised British citizens in Turkey to avoid public places and remain vigilant.

The statement said: "We are concerned by events unfolding in Ankara and Istanbul."

The US Secretary of State John Kerry has said he hopes for stability, peace and continuity in Turkey in the wake of the coup.

US President Barack Obama is also being briefed on the unfolding situation with a spokesman for the White House National Security Council saying: "The President's national security team has apprised him of the unfolding situation in Turkey.

"The President will continue to receive regular updates."

WHO IS PRESIDENT ERDOGAN?

Islamist strong man Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has been President of Turkey since 2014, after serving as the country's Prime Minister for eleven years. NATO Holds Warsaw Summit He leads the AKP, a socially conservative party who are popular in Turkey’s deprived rural areas. Erdogan has led the party to four successive general election wins, but has faced criticism for locking up civil rights activists and journalists. His powerful political combination of Islam and nationalism has been seen by people in Turkey’s cities as a threat to the country’s plans to modernise and join the European Union. Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan Visits Germany But despite concerns that his commitments to democracy and human rights are just a game to get his feet under the table in Brussels, Erdoğan is considered a key ally in the West’s fight against ISIS. Human Rights Organisations have long warned that the AKP’s bullying tactics would lead to civil unrest. Erdogan has waged a long and bloody civil war against Kurds on the Turkish/Syrian border, which have led some Western states to question the leader’s motives. Deeply unpopular outside the AKP’s heartlands and fighting a war on two fronts, it remains unclear if this is the end for Turkey’s gladiatorial President.